PRINTER'S NO. 6
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No. 6
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MUTH, JANUARY 7, 2025
INTRODUCED, JANUARY 7, 2025
A RESOLUTION
1 Adopting the Rules of the Senate for the 209th and 210th Regular
2 Session.
3 RESOLVED, That the following be adopted as the Rules of the
4 Senate for the governing of the 209th and 210th Regular Session.
5 2025-2026
6 RULES OF THE SENATE OF PENNSYLVANIA
7 Rule 1. Sessions.
8 (a) Regular and special.--The General Assembly shall be a
9 continuing body during the term for which its Representatives
10 are elected. It shall meet at twelve o'clock noon on the first
11 Tuesday of January each year. Special sessions shall be called
12 by the Governor on petition of a majority of the Members elected
13 to each House or may be called by the Governor whenever in his
14 opinion the public interest requires. (Const. Art. II, Sec. 4)
15 (b) Weekly.--The Senate shall convene its weekly sessions on
16 Monday, unless the Senate shall otherwise direct.
17 Rule 2. President.
18 The Lieutenant Governor shall be President of the Senate.
 1 (Const. Art. IV, Sec. 4)
2 Rule 3. Duties of the President.
3 The President shall:
4 (1) Take the chair on every legislative day at the hour
5 to which the Senate stands recessed, immediately call the
6 Senators to order, and proceed with the Order of Business of
7 the Senate.
8 (2) While in session have general direction of the
9 Senate Chamber. It shall be the President's duty to preserve
10 order and decorum, including ensuring all members and staff
11 with privilege of the floor are properly attired pursuant to
12 Senate Rule 10, and, in case of disturbance or disorderly
13 conduct in the Chamber or galleries, may cause the same to be
14 cleared. When in the President's opinion there arises a case
15 of extreme disturbance or emergency the President shall, with
16 the concurrence of the President Pro Tempore, the Majority
17 Leader and the Minority Leader, recess the Senate. Such
18 recess shall not extend beyond the limitation imposed by
19 Article II, section 14 of the Constitution.
20 (3) During debate, prevent personal references or
21 questions as to motive, and confine Senators, in debate, to
22 the question.
23 (4) Decide, when two or more Senators arise, who shall
24 be first to speak.
25 (5) In the presence of the Senate, within one
26 legislative day after receipt or adoption, sign all bills and
27 joint resolutions which have passed both Houses after their
28 titles have been read.
29 (6) Sign resolutions, orders, writs, warrants and
30 subpoenas issued by order of the Senate. The signature shall
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 1 be attested by the Secretary-Parliamentarian of the Senate,
2 or, if absent, by the Chief Clerk of the Senate; and the fact
3 of signing shall be entered in the Journal on the next
4 available session day.
5 (7) Decide all points of order, subject to appeal,
6 giving, however, any Member called to order the right to
7 extenuate or justify. Debate shall not be permitted unless
8 there be an appeal from a decision of the President in which
9 event the President shall submit the question to the whole
10 Senate for decision. The President shall submit points of
11 order involving the constitutionality of any matter to the
12 Senate for decision. Questions of order submitted to the
13 Senate may be debated.
14 Rule 4. President Pro Tempore.
15 (a) Election.--The Senate shall, at the beginning and close
16 of each regular session and at such other times as may be
17 necessary, elect one of its Members President Pro Tempore, who
18 shall perform the duties of the Lieutenant Governor in any case
19 of absence or disability of that officer, and whenever the
20 office of Lieutenant Governor shall be vacant. (Const. Art. II,
21 Sec. 9)
22 (b) Voting.--The vote of a majority of the Members voting
23 shall be required to elect a President Pro Tempore. Except at
24 the beginning and close of each regular session, the Senate
25 shall only elect a President Pro Tempore when the office has
26 become vacant and the vote of the majority of the Members
27 elected shall be required to vacate the office of a seated
28 President Pro Tempore.
29 Rule 5. Duties of President Pro Tempore.
30 (a) Mandatory.--The President Pro Tempore shall:
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 1 (1) Appoint the Chair, Vice Chair and members of the
2 Standing Committees of the Senate as soon after the election
3 of the President Pro Tempore as possible. Upon the
4 resignation of the Chair of a standing committee, the
5 President Pro Tempore may designate an acting Chair.
6 (2) Appoint members to special committees whenever
7 authorized.
8 (3) Fill all vacancies occurring in standing and special
9 committees.
10 (4) Refer to the appropriate standing committee every
11 bill and joint resolution which may be introduced in the
12 Senate or received from the House of Representatives.
13 (5) Appoint and have under the President Pro Tempore's
14 direction such Senate employees as are authorized by law.
15 (6) Vote last on all questions when occupying the Chair.
16 (b) Discretionary.--The President Pro Tempore may name any
17 Senator to preside in the absence of the President, or if both
18 the President and President Pro Tempore are absent the Majority
19 Leader, or the Majority Leader's designee, shall preside. The
20 Majority Leader, during such time, shall be vested with all
21 powers of the President. This authority shall not extend beyond
22 a day's recess.
23 Rule 6. Duties of the Secretary-Parliamentarian.
24 (a) Election.--At the beginning of each regular session
25 convening in an odd-numbered year and at other times as may be
26 necessary, the Senate shall elect a Secretary-Parliamentarian of
27 the Senate.
28 (b) General duties.--The Secretary-Parliamentarian of the
29 Senate shall:
30 (1) Assist the presiding officer in conducting the
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 1 business of the session.
2 (2) Act in the capacity of Parliamentarian.
3 (c) Specific duties.--The Secretary-Parliamentarian of the
4 Senate shall, subject to the direction of the President Pro
5 Tempore:
6 (1) Direct the following functions:
7 (i) Amending bills in the Senate.
8 (ii) Preparing and publishing the Senate Calendar.
9 (iii) Publication of the Senate History.
10 (iv) Numbering Senate bills as they are introduced
11 and causing them to be distributed to the chair of the
12 committee to which they are referred and receiving a
13 receipt for the same.
14 (v) Printing of bills.
15 (vi) Maintain and update, as needed, the Legislative
16 Data Processing Senate Virtual Session Desk application
17 for use by members and staff.
18 (2) Keep a record of the Senate action on a bill on a
19 special record sheet attached to the bill after it has been
20 reported from committee.
21 (3) Keep a record of all leaves granted by the Senate by
22 compiling the leave requests submitted by a member and
23 transmitted to the Secretary-Parliamentarian by the
24 respective Floor Leaders. These records shall be retained
25 only for the duration of the two-year legislative session.
26 Further, these records shall be available for public
27 inspection upon request.
28 (4) Transmit all bills, joint resolutions, concurrent
29 resolutions and other communications to the House of
30 Representatives within one legislative day of final passage
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 1 or adoption, and each shall be accompanied by a message
2 stating the title to the measure being transmitted and
3 requesting concurrence of the House, as required.
4 (5) Attest all writs, warrants and subpoenas issued by
5 order of the Senate; certify as to the passage of Senate
6 Bills and the approval of executive nominations.
7 (6) Supervise the Senate Library, assist Senators by
8 making reference material available to them and perform any
9 duties assigned to the Senate Librarian by any statute.
10 (7) Supervise the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, the Senate
11 Bill Room, the Senate Print Shop, the Official Reporter's
12 Office and the Senate Page Service.
13 (8) Post each roll call vote, including each roll call
14 vote on all amendments, taken in the Senate on the Internet
15 website maintained by the Senate immediately, but in no case
16 later than 24 hours after the vote. Each roll call vote shall
17 be posted in a manner which clearly identifies the bill,
18 resolution, amendment or other subject of the vote.
19 (9) Post the Legislative Journal of the Senate on the
20 Internet website maintained by the Senate upon approval of
21 the Journal or within 90 calendar days of each session day,
22 whichever is earlier. The journal shall be the official
23 record of the Senate upon Senate approval or posting of the
24 Journal on the Internet website by the Secretary-
25 Parliamentarian.
26 (10) Provide for the publication and dissemination of
27 educational or informational literature pertaining to the
28 Senate, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the Government of
29 the United States.
30 Rule 7. Duties of the Chief Clerk of the Senate.
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 1 (a) Election.--At the beginning of each regular session
2 convening in an odd-numbered year and, whenever necessary, the
3 Senate shall elect a Chief Clerk of the Senate.
4 (b) Duties.--The Chief Clerk shall be the chief fiscal
5 officer of the Senate and shall perform those powers and duties
6 prescribed by law, the Rules of the Senate and at the direction
7 of the President Pro Tempore. In the absence of the Secretary-
8 Parliamentarian, the Chief Clerk shall, subject to the direction
9 of the President Pro Tempore, attest all writs, warrants and
10 subpoenas issued by order of the Senate and shall certify as to
11 the passage of Senate Bills and the approval of executive
12 nominations.
13 Rule 8. Duties of the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms.
14 There shall be a Chief Sergeant-at-Arms who shall:
15 (1) Be constantly in attendance during the sessions of
16 the Senate except when absent in discharging other duties.
17 (2) Appoint, have charge of and direct the work of the
18 assistant sergeants-at-arms.
19 (3) Serve all subpoenas and warrants issued by the
20 Senate or any duly authorized officer or committee.
21 (4) Maintain order, at the direction of the presiding
22 officer, in the Senate Chamber and adjoining rooms.
23 (5) See that no person, except those authorized to do
24 so, disturbs or interferes with the desk, or its contents, of
25 any Senator or officer.
26 (6) Exclude from the Floor all persons not entitled to
27 the privilege of the same.
28 (7) Have charge of all entrances to the Chamber during
29 the sessions of the Senate and shall see that the doors are
30 properly attended.
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 1 (8) Announce, upon recognition by the presiding officer,
2 all important communications and committees.
3 (9) Escort the Senate to all Joint meetings with the
4 mace.
5 (10) Escort the Senate to attend funeral services of
6 members, former members of the Senate or other dignitaries
7 with the mace.
8 Rule 9. Order of Business.
9 (a) General rule.--The Order of Business to be observed in
10 taking up business shall be as follows:
11 First Call to Order.
12 Second Prayer by the Chaplain and
13 Pledge of Allegiance.
14 Third Reading of Communications.
15 Fourth Receiving reports of committees.
16 Fifth Asking of leaves of absence. No
17 Senator shall absent himself
18 without leave of the Senate,
19 first obtained, unless prevented
20 from attendance by sickness, or
21 other sufficient cause.
22 Sixth Approval of Journals of
23 preceding session days.
24 Seventh Offering of original
25 resolutions.
26 Eighth Introduction of Guests.
27 Ninth Consideration of the Calendar.
28 Any bill or resolution on the
29 Calendar not finally acted upon
30 within 10 legislative days shall
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 1 be removed from the Calendar and
2 laid on the table, unless the
3 Senate shall otherwise direct.
4 Tenth Consideration of Executive
5 Nominations.
6 Eleventh Unfinished Business. Reports of
7 Committees.
8
9 Twelfth First consideration of bills
10 reported from committee, which,
11 at this time, shall not be
12 subject to amendment, debate or
13 a vote thereon.
14 Thirteenth Announcements by the Secretary-
15 Parliamentarian.
16 Fourteenth Introduction of Petitions and
17 Remonstrances.
18 Fifteenth Recess.
19 (b) Special order of business.--Any subject may, by a vote
20 of two-thirds of the Members present, be made a special order;
21 and when the time so fixed for its consideration arrives, the
22 presiding officer shall lay it before the Senate.
23 Rule 10. Order and decorum.
24 (a) Recognition.--Any Senator who desires to speak or
25 deliver any matter to the Senate shall rise and respectfully
26 address the presiding officer as "Mr. President" or "Madam
27 President," and on being recognized, may address the Senate at a
28 microphone located on the Floor of the Chamber.
29 (b) Avoiding personal references.--Any Senator addressing
30 the Senate shall confine remarks to the question under debate,
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 1 avoiding personal references or questions as to motive.
2 (c) Speaking out of order.--If any Senator transgresses the
3 Rules of the Senate, in speaking or otherwise, the presiding
4 officer may, or any Senator may through the presiding officer,
5 call that Senator to order.
6 (d) Speaking more than twice.--No Senator shall speak more
7 than twice on one question without leave of the Senate.
8 (e) Decorum.--When a Senator is speaking, no other person
9 shall pass between the Senator and the presiding officer.
10 (f) Order and privilege.--No Senator speaking shall be
11 interrupted except by a call to order, a question of privilege,
12 a question of order or a call for the previous question, without
13 the consent of the Senator speaking, and no Senator shall speak
14 on a question after it is put to a vote.
15 (g) Questions of order.--The presiding officer shall decide
16 all questions of order, subject to appeal by any member. No
17 debate shall be allowed on questions of order, unless there is
18 an appeal. A second point of order on the same general subject,
19 but not the same point, is not in order while an appeal is
20 pending, but when the first appeal is decided, laid on the table
21 or otherwise disposed of, the second point of order is in order
22 and is subject to appeal. While an appeal is pending, no other
23 business is in order. It is within the discretion of the
24 presiding officer as to whether to vacate the chair on an
25 appeal.
26 (h) Question when interrupted.--A question regularly before
27 the Senate can be interrupted only by a call for the previous
28 question, for amendment, postponement, to lay on the table,
29 commitment, recess or adjournment sine